Scholarships

Scholarships that are awarded from the local community, organizations, or other private sources are considered hometown scholarships. Students receiving scholarships from outside sources must report these scholarships by logging in to MyUNIverse, going to the Student Center, and clicking on "Report Other Financial Aid."

Federal regulations require all scholarship(s) be included in your financial aid package. Scholarships may reduce or replace a portion of your financial aid award. Loans are the first item to be adjusted on your financial aid award.

• Report hometown scholarships by logging in to MyUNIverse, going to the Student Center, and clicking on "Report Other Financial Aid."

• Scholarship checks are usually made out to you and to UNI. All scholarship check(s), co-payable or not, should be turned in to the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships, 105 Gilchrist Hall, Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0024. When submitting scholarship checks to UNI, please endorse the check and include your student ID number.  

• Scholarship amounts will be split evenly between semesters unless otherwise noted by the donor.

• Submitting scholarship checks to the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships by July 31 allows you to receive credit for your scholarship on the first fall university bill. For crediting of scholarships to the first spring semester bill, the checks should be received by December 15.

The University of Northern Iowa does not bill donors. If the donor of your scholarship requires notification of billing, you can go to MyUNIverse and print your billing history. Navigate to your Student Center by logging in to MyUNIverse and going to the Student Center. Within the Finances section on the Student Center, you will find a dropdown menu that will include Account Activity.

Please review this PDF document for instructions on accessing enrollment verification: Student Enrollment Verification.

You may also go to MyUNIverse and print your class schedule, if acceptable to the scholarship donor. Navigate to your Student Center by logging in to MyUNIverse and going to the Student Center. Within the Academics section, click on "My Academics" to view your class schedule.

If neither of these options work, please contact the Office of the Registrar at (319) 273-2241. 

• Make the check payable to the University of Northern Iowa. Include the student's name and UNI ID number on the memo line or with the accompanying letter.

• If you'd like, you may click here for a donor form you may complete to accompany your scholarship check.

• Consider your canceled check your receipt. If you or your organization needs verification of this credit to the student's account, you should ask the student to send you a copy of their billing history.

• For scholarships to credit to the student's first bill for the fall semester, the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships should receive checks by July 31. For the spring semester, the checks should be received by December 15.

• Scholarships post to your bill after the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships receives the check. Unless otherwise specified by the donor, scholarships credit to your account in two parts: half applies to the fall semester and half applies to the spring semester.

• Scholarships automatically credit your account when you're enrolled full time (12 hours for undergraduates or 9 hours for graduate students).

• Make sure you have fulfilled all the requirements asked by your donor when you received the scholarship.

• While waiting for your scholarship to credit your account, you are responsible for paying the balance due using other sources.

Absolutely! As soon as you receive notice of your scholarship award, you should write a thank-you note to your scholarship donor.

• Admissions Based Scholarships: You can only receive one semester’s worth of funds for the semester you are enrolled full-time at UNI.

• Financial Aid: You can only receive one semester’s worth of funds for the semester you are enrolled full-time at UNI.

• Departmental Scholarships: Moving the funds to one semester is at the discretion of the department and you will want to speak with them regarding this.  

• If you withdraw from classes, the unused funds are returned to the donor. You will need to inform the donor of your future plans.

• If the scholarship is a UNI Foundation award, the department administering the award will review scholarship guidelines. Depending on donor specific guidelines, the award may be removed.

• Admissions Based Scholarships: These scholarships require that you continuously receive the scholarship. If you are not eligible for renewal one year, you will not be able to continue receiving it.

• Financial Aid: If your GPA was not eligible for renewal or if the scholarship was a one-year scholarship, we would encourage you to complete the UNI Scholarship Application to be eligible for other scholarships.

• Departmental Scholarships: This is dependent on the scholarship guidelines and at the discretion of the department. Speak with the department that awarded the scholarship regarding your eligibility for renewal and other opportunities.

• Can be certain the gift will be maximized and administered using guidelines established on Statement of Gift Intent (SOGI) and/or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

• Will not be required to follow up with a student recipient in regards to their enrollment or billing status with the university